Basketball, p.1
Basketball, page 1
About the Book
Time was running out. Jessica looked up at the ring. With an almighty toss, she took a shot at the basket. Everyone held their breath . . .
Jessica is a basketball all-star. So why does she need lucky shoes?
Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
‘Shoot! Shoot!’ yelled Jessica’s teammates.
‘Take the shot, Jess!’ yelled Coach Michelle. ‘You can do it!’
Jessica bounced the basketball. She ran towards the basket.
With only seconds left in the game, the Panthers – Jessica’s team – were down by one point.
Jessica was getting worried.
The players from the other team were all around her.
She dribbled the ball through and around her legs. She moved forwards and backwards to keep away from the other team.
Her friend Pete ran past. ‘Go for it, Jess!’ he yelled.
Time was running out.
Jessica looked up at the hoop and with an almighty toss took a shot at the basket.
She held her breath. Was she going to make it?
The basketball hit the backboard. It rebounded on to the ring and wobbled on the edge for a bit.
Then it dropped through!
BUZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ!
It was the end-of-game buzzer.
The Panthers had won!
Winning felt amazing!
‘Way to go, Jess!’ yelled Abby.
‘That was awesome!’ said Pete, running in from the sidelines.
Coach Michelle gathered the team together.
‘You were all terrific,’ she said, ‘but once again our top player is . . . Jessica!’
The team cheered.
‘We should call her The Rocket,’ said Jacqui.
Coach Michelle smiled. ‘What a great nickname,’ she said. ‘Jess might be the smallest on the court, but she’s as fast as a rocket and just as accurate.’
On the way home in the car with Jacqui, Jessica kept looking at her sneakers. ‘Are they new?’ asked Jacqui. ‘They’re cool.’
Jessica nodded. ‘Ever since I’ve had these shoes, I’ve played better than ever. I’ve won top player almost every week. Do you know what this means?’
‘No. What?’ said Jacqui.
‘These aren’t just my new sneakers . . . these are my lucky sneakers.’
When they got home, Jacqui and Jessica ran out to play on the trampoline.
‘Shoes off!’ called Jessica’s mum.
But when they got off the tramp, the lucky sneakers were nowhere to be seen.
Then Jessica spotted a piece of shoelace.
And another . . .
And another . . .
Then she saw small chunks of white material thrown all over the backyard.
‘What the?’ Jessica said. ‘Oh no! Where’s Buster?’
Jessica’s puppy, Buster, crawled out from under the tramp. He had one shoe in his mouth.
He looked very sorry.
Jessica started to cry.
‘I’m going to be terrible without my lucky sneakers,’ she said.
‘No! You were a great player before you got those shoes,’ said Jacqui.
‘It’s all in your head,’ Jessica’s mum said.
But Jessica didn’t believe them.
By half-time in the next game, Jessica knew she was playing her worst game of the season.
She hardly ever had the ball, and every time she did she dropped it or slipped over!
In the second half, she finally managed to take a shot at the basket.
She watched the ball, hoping it would go through.
But . . .
THOOOOMMMP!
‘Ouch!’ cried the referee.
‘OOOOOOOHHH!’ went the crowd.
When the buzzer went to end the game, Jessica felt terrible.
‘See!’ she said to her mum. ‘It’s not all in my head. It’s real. I’m hopeless without my lucky sneakers.’
Back at home after the game, Jessica sulked.
‘How could you, Buster?’ she said. ‘Next time eat my homework, not my shoes.’
Buster just licked Jessica’s face.
Jessica’s older brother, Tommy, tossed a basketball at her.
‘Without your lucky shoes, I bet I can beat you in a one-on-one game,’ he said.
Jessica shook her head.
‘Go on,’ her mum said. ‘You always beat your brother.’
‘Hey!’ yelled Tommy. ‘Thanks for not picking favourites, Mum. NOT!’ Jessica and Tommy ran out to the basketball hoop above the garage door.
‘Game on!’ said Tommy. ‘First to twelve points wins. Two points a shot.’
Tommy dribbled around Jessica and tossed the ball up at the hoop.
He scored his first basket.
‘YES! Two points to me!’
But Jessica snatched the ball. She followed up with her own basket.
Soon they had both scored ten points.
The next basket would win the game.
Tommy had the ball. He tried to dribble past Jessica, but he couldn’t get around her.
She forced him all the way back to the end of the driveway.
Tommy was a long, long way from the hoop. He let loose a wild throw.
FWOOOOOOSHHH!
The ball shot right over Jessica.
It shot right over Buster.
It shot right over their mum.
And it shot . . . right into the hoop!
‘YES! YES! I WON!’ Tommy yelled.
‘Dumb shoes,’ Jessica muttered, stomping off inside.
On Saturday, Jessica and Ben walked onto the court together for their next game.
‘Do you think we can beat this team?’ Ben asked.
‘We should be able to beat them,’ said Jessica.
She bounced the basketball behind her back and then passed it to Ben.
‘If I had my lucky shoes we’d be able to win for sure. But I’m wearing my old sneakers again.’
‘Huh?’ said Ben. ‘Who cares what sneakers you’re wearing?’
He returned the ball to Jessica with a chest pass. He threw it fast and hard.
Without even thinking about it, Jessica caught the ball.
‘See!’ Ben said. ‘You’re really good! Everyone has a bad game sometimes.’
‘Maybe,’ said Jessica. She started to dribble the ball around her legs. ‘And even if we lose, I still love playing basketball.’
The referee blew his whistle to start the game.
‘You’ll be fine,’ said Jacqui. ‘You’re The Rocket remember?’
Jessica nodded.
But then she looked down at her shoes and she wasn’t so sure.
Within seconds Ben had the ball. He ran and dribbled towards the ring.
Jessica ran alongside him. She felt so nervous. She knew any second he would pass her the ball.
Ben passed the ball with a tricky bounce pass.
But this time Jessica didn’t lose the ball.
She dodged around the other team.
She was starting to enjoy herself.
Jessica charged forward and took a shot at the basket.
She shot the first goal of the game!
The crowd went wild!
Ben, Jacqui, Pete and Abby ran to give her a high five.
At the end of the game, the Panthers had won and Jessica was once again the best player on the court.
‘You were right, Jacqui,’ said Jessica. ‘It wasn’t my shoes at all.’
‘I told you!’ said Jacqui.
But Jessica shook her head.
‘I wasn’t wearing these socks last week. And I wasn’t wearing them when I played against Tommy. But I had them on with my new sneakers . . .’
‘So it was my socks all along!’ Jessica said. ‘These must be my lucky socks!’
Jacqui sighed. ‘Here we go again,’ she said.
Aren’t all basketball players really, really tall? No!
Basketball is a very fast game and Jessica is the perfect example of a basketball player whose skills and speed make her a star.
All she needs is a bit of faith in her ball-handling skills, and she’ll be a champion.
Jessica is especially good at dribbling, which is how you move with the ball. You should be able to dribble using both hands.
Here’s how to dribble a basketball:
Spread your fingertips across the ball.
Have your feet apart and your knees bent.
Crouch over the ball – keep your head up and your eyes on what’s happening around you as you move forward.
Use your fingertips to bounce the ball, not the palm of your hand.
Other basketball skills include shooting, screening and passing the ball. All you need is a basketball ring and a ball. So get out there and shoot some hoops!
Why are basketball players messy eaters?
Because they’re always dribbling.
What is a personal foul?
It’s your very own chicken!
How did the basketball court get wet?
The players dribbled all over it.
Why was the kangaroo invited to join a basketball team?
He was good at jump shots.
Why did the basketball players go to the doctor?
To get their shots.
Knock! Knock!
Who’s there?
Justin.
Justin who?
&nb
When is a baby good at basketball?
When she’s dribbling.
What do you call a pig that plays basketball?
A ball hog!
Did you know?
Basketball was invented by a PE teacher in the US. He wanted an indoor game to play in winter when it was too cold to play outdoors.
The first basketball hoops were actually baskets used for picking peaches.
Basketball for men became an official Olympic sport at the 1936 Berlin Olympics, but women players had to wait until 1976.
Americans Michael Jordan and Kareem Abdul- Jabbar are two of the greatest basketball players of all time.
An Australian, Lauren Jackson, is considered one of the greatest players in the women’s game.
The Harlem Globetrotters are a world-famous team, combining amazing basketball with trick shots and comedy.
The shortest player in NBA history was Muggsy Bogues. He was only 5 feet, 3 inches tall (that’s 1 metre, 60 centimetres). He was a super-fast ball-stealer for the Charlotte Hornets during the 1990s.
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First published by Penguin Random House Australia Pty Ltd, 2016
Text copyright © Red Wolf Entertainment Pty Ltd, 2016
Illustrations copyright © Tom Jellett, 2016
The moral right of the author and illustrator has been asserted.
All rights reserved. Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise), without the prior written permission of both the copyright owner and the above publisher of this book.
Design by Tony Palmer © Penguin Random House Australia Pty Ltd
puffin.com.au
ISBN: 978-1-76014-141-7
THE BEGINNING
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